Wynn Las Vegas has done nightlife in an elevated way for over a decade in the city known as the nightlife capital of America. While the Wynn Encore have prioritized DJ residencies with a handful of live performances the tide has changed with hip-hop and rap star Tyga's new Wynn nightlife residency which begins on March 17.
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I caught up with the vice president of nightlife for Wynn Encore, Ryan Jones, who is responsible for marketing and operations efforts to boost the high-level talent portfolio and top-tier brands associated with Wynn Encore. Jones shared why the Tyga residency is so important to the future of nightlife at Wynn properties and what this means for artists, guests and industry professionals.
Q: How long have you been with Wynn nightlife and how long have you been in Las Vegas?
A: 12 years [with Wynn]…I think I've actually been in Vegas closer to 20. Time is flying faster than I thought.
Q: Have you ever worked with Tyga before?
A: I haven't. This will be our first time.
Q: What is it about him regarding his talent and his work that drew you and your team to select him for residency?
A: We're always looking to have a diverse and progressive lineup. You know, obviously we've had a very strong position in the EDM world. And then a few years ago, we took a very strong stance in the house and techno world with our Art of the Wild project.
We were just looking at what's working in town, then we saw that the Tyga residency has a lot of success in town. Also he's a big fan of our hotel and property so the conversations just started to happen organically, truthfully, because he's always on property.
It just seemed like a natural fit for him to come over here. I'm a big fan of live music and live performers in nightclubs so we're really excited for his performances here.
Q: What are a handful of other artists that you've booked for Wynn nightlife that are a similar vibe to Tyga?
A: We had Drake a few years ago, which was, you know, a fantastic performance every time that he came on. But like I said, we've been so heavy on the DJ scene.
We haven't done a ton of performers. We've had Kid Laroi, Justin Bieber, Drake and different pop ups like that, but for a full blown residency like Tyga’s, I think it'll be something new and special.
Q: Do you predict that this type of artists residency might become more of a regular feature of Wynn nightlife?
A: That's a great question. I think the live performance and live music space is ever growing in Las Vegas nightclubs. You know that you're always going to have a really strong DJ presence here whether it's David Guetta, Chainsmokers, Marshmello, etcetera.
Those guys are always going to have a home here but you're starting to see some live performers pop up a little bit more frequently. So I think that space might be an ever growing space here.
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Q: So you have lived here for quite some time. What do you like most about living in Las Vegas?
A: I like the ever changing environment. It's always evolving, especially in the entertainment space. There's always something new and different and exciting happening.
It's an exciting place to work and live around because something is always popping up. I also love that it gives all my friends and family an excuse to come visit so I don't have to travel all around the world to see them at some point. Everybody stops in here and gets to see us.
Q: What are some of your main or favorite tasks as VP of Wynn nightlife? Or aspects that you may have more influence over now as VP?
A: This isn't new because Pauly Freedman who was the VP before me was always very big on this as well and I just want to kind of carry on that sentiment, is continuing to be creative. I don't ever want to be stagnant in nightlife and I don't ever want to just book another DJ, book another act. Go through the motions.
Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas
I preach to our staff, to be creative and to try and stay creative as much as possible and that's really the forefront of our business. If we're not being creative or not pitching new ideas, then you see a lot of nightclubs just go by the wayside. I think that's why you [have] got to take risks; you [have] got to take chances.
If you fail nine out of 10 times, but that one is a homerun then you're succeeding. So most important for me is just staying creative and keeping our space a creative space.
Q: Do you have any other artists or events that you're super excited to launch this day club season?
A: We have some out-of-market things that are really exciting. It's another big initiative that I love. We're working with one of our residents Kygo this coming weekend doing the Palm Tree Festival out in Aspen.
Then the next big event that we have is Coachella where we work with our partners and framework and we do four or five different events out of Coachella. So just the overall portfolio of our out-of-market events is something that I'm really excited for.
And then here at Encore Beach club, I mean, it's the beach club, right? It's going to be crazy; it's going to be insane. The regular cast of characters of David Guetta, Chainsmokers etcetera will all be there.
So another season is upon us. It feels like the offseason is getting shorter and shorter every year. We're slated to open March 3 and we want to make sure that people get excited for [Tyga’s] residency because we are very excited for this residency, something new and different.
Photography by: By Danny Mahomes; By Joshua Spencer; By Ryder Ripps
